June Lake Short-Term[1] Rental Issue

Updated for Mar. 7, 2017 CAC Subcommittee Meeting

BASIS

  1. Purpose: Conduct a community[2] conversation to update June Lake Area Plan policies to address short-term rentals in residential areas.
  2. Need: The initial reasons for providing the Transient Rental Overlay District (TROD) may have been different; however, the current reality is that short-term rentals are a common issue in resort communities and are not going away. Therefore, a decision needs to be made about how to handle them.The current process has limitations and an alternate mechanism is desired by the community, and the community wants to ensure protection of area and neighborhood character.
  3. Principles:
  4. Opportunity for input: Adequate opportunity to express opinions and provide input must be available to all community members, and community members should feel like their input was heard and considered (with the recognition that not every individual will “get what they want”). Participants were asked to provide any information about what makes them “feel heard and considered” even if they don’t “get what they want.”
  5. Consensus/common ground in the best interests of the community: We will develop consensus and agreement to the best of our ability, and a sense that the decision is made in the best interests of the community as a whole. There is recognition and understanding that 100% agreement is unrealistic, but we will strive for something most people “can live with.”
  6. Public engagement: Community involvement, engagement, education, and participation is critical, and we will seek to achieve as much as we can.
  7. Finality and certainty: Finality and certainty is needed – finality in that a decision will be made and we do not need to continue revisiting this conversation regularly, and certainty for homeowners about the status of short-term rentals for their property.

INTEGRATION OF SUPERVISOR JOHNSTON’S PROPOSAL

Supervisor Johnston’s proposal essentially contains three components:

  1. Map “neighborhoods” in the June Lake area. Staff initially identifies the neighborhoods, then the community provides comment.
  2. Identify neighborhoods where short-term rentals are viable and acceptable, and neighborhoods where they aren’t. Staff initially determines which neighborhoods are not viable based on technical issues, then the community provides comment.
  3. Take these neighborhood proposals to a vote of the community. An 80% approval rating is proposed. Amend the General Plan with a new Land Use Designation that allows for short-term rentals for those neighborhoods with voter approval.

These components are integrated into the work plan that follows. Based on the principles identified by the CAC and community, community-based planning is relied upon to develop consensus about defining neighborhoods and acceptable locations for short-term rentals. The final decision mechanism (vote, etc.) is undetermined at this point. However, since the outcome will be reflected in the June Lake Area Plan, the ultimate decision will be based on recommendations of the JLCAC and Planning Commission, with the final decision by the BOS. As the conversation, direction, and areas of agreement evolve, the most appropriate or preferred decision method will become clearer.

WORK PLAN

  1. DETERMINE PROCESS, METHODOLOGY, AND CALENDAR
  2. Dec. 6, 2016 CAC subcommittee workshop: complete!
  3. March CAC subcommittee workshop: Review specific calendar dates, initiate work plan, review initial maps
  1. Develop Neighborhood Maps
  2. Are maps needed? Is there another method that should be considered?We asked this questions and considered if any other options were available. The consensus is that maps are needed to provide finality and certainty.
  3. Who draws the lines? CAC vet first?The CAC requested assistance from Supervisor Johnston and staff; in a subsequent discussion, Supervisor Johnston agreed to draw the initial map. CAC will then refine. Incorporate technical information at this time as well.
  4. Suggestion: boundaries can overlap, subareas can be identified within neighborhoods, and entire areas do not need to be treated the same.
  5. Initial maps are for outreach purposes, and further refined though public discussion and meetings.
  1. Implement outreach campaign
  • Options for advertising & notification
  • Tax base mailing – received tax base addresses, removing duplicates and PO Boxes
  • PO Box mailing
  • Email to County subscription list
  • Personal email distribution(from CAC/community members)
  • Phone calls (from CAC/community members)
  • Radio/newspaper announcements, calendars, publications, PSAs
  • Flyers: distribution by community members, post in community location and County website
  • Spanish translation
  • Word-of-mouth
  • Other?
  • Options for engagement and input
  • Community-wide meetings
  • Neighborhood meetings
  • Who is allowed to participate? Based on outreach strategy, everyone who shows up - could be for their neighborhood or other neighborhoods
  • Survey (see “Collect Data” section)
  • Phone calls(from CAC/community members)
  • Door to door(from CAC/community members)
  • Anonymous suggestion box
  • Formal Public Hearings by the Planning Commission and Board of Supervisors
  • Other?
  • Outreach Calendar:
  • Early March:Website for this project posted with workshop schedule
  • Mid-March:“Save the Date” PO Box mailing (w/Spanish translation), tax base mailing?
  • Week of April 10:June Lake CAC email blast (w/Spanish translation)
  • Week of April 17:CAC member emails, word of mouth campaign, flyers/posters (w/Spanish

translation), radio/newspaper

  • Week of April 24:Flyers/posters (w/Spanish translation), radio/newspaper
  • Week of May 1:June Lake CAC email blast (w/Spanish translation)
  • Day before each meeting:June Lake CAC email blast
  1. Collect Data
  • Survey: The housing survey is expected in the next month or two. A specific question for/against short-term rentals is not included; instead, questions regarding neighborhood values and character, needed housing types, etc., are included. Relevant information from the survey will be reported in Task 5.
  • Technical information: Physical mapping, such as road grades, surface, pothole locations, snow removal circumstances, flood areas, avalanche locations, land ownership (INF permittee cabins), etc.
  • To be handed out at the 2/6 CAC subcommittee meeting for discussion with the maps.
  • Community and Neighborhood Meetings, and Focus Group Meetings: This general meeting structure/agenda can be used for most types of meetings.Focus groups may include 1) lodging owners, 2) business owners needing workforce, other…?
  • Purpose and Need
  • Background/Education
  • JL Vision
  • TROD history and context
  • Current land use maps to identify “single-family” neighborhoods and where short-term rentals are currently permitted
  • Constraints: policy outcome must be legal and enforceable
  • Concerns/fears/negatives about short-term rentals in the neighborhood
  • Opportunities/benefits/positives of short-term rentals
  • Discuss neighborhood maps:
  • Are the maps drawn/defined correctly?
  • Technical characteristics for short-term rentals
  • Social/neighborhood considerations for short-term rentals
  • What can people live with? Is there some degree of perceived consensus on where short-term rentals should and shouldn’t be allowed in this neighborhood area?

Meeting Calendar: Hold meetings between May 10-31

Day 1

9:00 am – 10:30 amNeighborhood 1

11:00 am – 12:30 pmNeighborhood 2

1:30 pm – 3:00 pm Neighborhood 3

3:30 pm – 5:00 pm Neighborhood 4

5:00 pm – 6:00 pmOpen House

Day 2

9:00 am – 10:30 amNeighborhood 5

11:00 am – 12:30 pmNeighborhood 6

1:30 pm – 3:00 pm Neighborhood 7

3:30 pm – 5:00 pm Focus Group: Lodging and Business

5:00 pm – 6:00 pmOpen House

Day 3 (Placeholder)

9:00 am – 10:30 amNeighborhood ?

11:00 am – 12:30 pmNeighborhood ?

1:30 pm – 3:00 pm Neighborhood ?

3:00 pm – 6:00 pm Open House

  1. ANALYSIS – PHASE I
  • Compile all public input and relevant survey data, retain verbatim documentation when possible
  • Provide analysis of data to identify areas of agreement and controversy by community and neighborhood, identify ownership status (full time resident, second homeowner, renter, etc.) when possible
  • Provide analysis of potential solutions
  • Explore and determine policy tools: GP/AP policies, ordinance, etc.
  • Determine direction of policy development, consider initiating a vote, consider other decision making tools
  • Meeting to review Phase I Analysis: Two half day meetings or one full day meeting, between June 5-16
  1. ANALYSIS – PHASE II
  • Write up a draft document for feedback and review by the June Lake CAC/community. Multiple drafts may be needed, and how we proceed from here depends on the discussion at this point in time.
  • Meeting date: Half day meeting week of June 26
  1. FINAL DECISION
  • The ultimate decision will be based on recommendations of the JLCAC and Planning Commission, with the final decision by the BOS.
  • Meeting Dates:
  • Planning Commission: July 20 (or August 17)
  • Board of Supervisors: August 8 or 15 (or Sept. 5 or 12)

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[1] The term “nightly rental” was used in the initial version reviewed by the CAC subcommittee. To be consistent with staff report recommendations to the Planning Commission, the term was subsequently changed to “short-term rentals” throughout.

[2] The term “community” is all inclusive. Full-time/year-round residents, part-time and/or seasonal residents, second homeownersproperty owners, renters, and all community members in between are iencluded. Clarify with CAC subcommittee in March.